Danimir Nyitkin
Danimir Nyitkin was a key leader of the Valat Revolution, who went on to become the first General of the Armies in the newly-reformed kingdom of Valatsa. Early life Danimir Nyitkin was born to a small Gelgrasti military family in 355; as such, he was directed toward an army career from a young age. In 369, he entered a military academy, and went on to the military proper in 373. Danimir's writings mention having a father and an older brother in the army, which perhaps contributed toward his own intense interest in the field. Although Danimir had a capable tactical mind, he tended to have disciplinary problems in the army, preventing him from making significant advancement. However, by 383, Danimir had been promoted to sergeant and led a platoon himself. During this time period, Danimir began to get along more peaceably with his superiors in the army, although he also began getting involved with revolutionary movements. In 387, Lyudmila Vergerin— the leader of the pro-independence Slojod Uldova group— traveled to Gelgrast to coordinate with Gelgrasti revolutionaries. Danimir seems to have been a leading member of Gelgrast's revolutionary scene by this point, since he led the Gelgrasti side of the discussions. Slojod Uldova and Danimir's group (whose name is lost to history) formed an alliance through this meeting. Valat Revolution In the spring of 389, Danimir led the Gelgrasti side of the Valat Revolution. He started by seizing the city's army barracks, thereby bringing the bulk of the local military into the pro-independence cause. This was an instrumental move in securing Gelgrast for the rebels; when King Talbot IV sent in the Dorian military to quash the uprising, many of the soldiers defected to the Valat cause. Gelgrast became a rebel stronghold because of this, and so Danimir began to stage raids throughout the Valat countryside during the later years of the rebellion. However, when Leopold Otrolius took the Lord Reverendship, the swelling ranks of the Monastery of Arms were less able to be persuaded, and so the winter of 390 saw Danimir making several losses. Ultimately, though, the Valats adapted and Danimir led his troops to victory. Generalship When Vazrana Gezenhan was appointed to the Valat crown, Danimir was granted the title General of the Armies. This led to some controversy from Lyudmila Vergerin, who maintained that she deserved the position; Danimir stayed officially neutral on the issue, although letters from the era indicate that he wanted to retain the title. Thus, he avoided becoming involved in the Zavyarist rebellion, and simply defected to the side of Castimir Zavyar after Castimir was installed as king. As the Farelian War broke out throughout Tristania, Danimir lobbied for invading the east of Tristania and restoring a coastline to Valatsa; however, Castimir wanted to stay neutral, asserting that splitting the Tristanian forces would only help Dorio maintain its hold on the province. Danimir retired in 414, owing to his advanced age, and lived in Gelgrast until he died of cardiac failure in 417. Personal life Danimir married Radmila Erzwalder, a low-ranking noblewoman, in 395. They had a close relationship, and had three children in the ensuing years; Danimir sought to instruct his two sons, Bojan and Miladin, to follow his footsteps in the military. Category:Valats Category:Military Leaders Category:Insurgents